[CQ-Contest] Techniques of Ye Olden Days

[PY2NY, Vitor]

Nice message, Greg. I am looking back to 1980´s
and 1990´s. Doing national and international contests
at my own, with no computers, automatic CW, or
DVK. Well, was fun, and I can really remember
those old days at each time that I go in any contest
nowadays.

I see my table now, with two good radios, antenna
relays, amplifiers, and everything else. 1982/1983
using 10bq5 - 2 x 6kd6 tubes (PY national radio
producer), straight key, and paper. To control the
dupes, a big white paper with columns to letters
A to Z. Each callsign had suffix at your right column
like W2AA at A column, CT4NH at N, GB3IOTA
at I, etc etc... I could see almost imediatelly dupes!
Tower was 11m up, with single triband cubical quad,
with no rotator. Some time I left the radio, climb
the tower and did some adjustments to put the
quad to other directions, my goodness!!

I need to use right hand to do everything, including
CW. Touching radio panels can be done with left
hand here, or even MK2R+ buttons, rotator control...
You are right, we need to think in any possible
situation, and old techniques will be our salvation...

See you next contest - PY2NY


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Greg - N3ZL" <n3zl.radio at gmail.com>
To: <cq-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, August 30, 2009 1:28 AM
Subject: [CQ-Contest] Techniques of Ye Olden Days


>I am nineteen years old and have been contesting for five years now.
> Though contesting today is full of computerized logging, rig control,
> DX clusters, and other high tech tools, I think it is interesting to
> learn techniques and tips from the era of handwritten logs. I find it
> quite enjoyable to operate an occasional contest back to basics with
> the radio, paddles, and paper and pencil. From sending cw with your
> non-dominant hand and logging with your other hand to how to
> streamline the paper logging process to how exactly a paper dupe sheet
> was kept and used, I would like to hear about these techniques and
> others from the many experienced contesters on this list. I believe
> learning and practicing these skills is quite fun and could one day
> pay off if, by some chance, I find myself in a DX location during CQ
> WW without a computer. :)
>
> 73 de Greg N3ZL
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